Saturday, February 28, 2009

We need one of those popular inexpensive makeovers here at Thoughtfully Blended Hearts, a re-do on behalf of all the dog toys. Zoe and Buddy don’t seem to have any respect for their sweet playthings. They tug, they chew, they wrestle and leave them strewn everywhere. You’d think they “lived in a barn”. What’s a doggyMom to do"?…

A Shabby Chic Makeover

Guts and Stuffing are everywhere…

So “Makeover Fever hit on this snowy Sunday”

I whipped out the needle, thread, some Shabby Chic

fabric and the duck pincushion

and whipped up a “Shabby Chic Mistreatment”…

Well, what do ya think

A Sweet Little Lacy Eyepatch

A Shabby Chic Ear Patch

This sweet Little Squirrel has a “mistreated” chest patch

Think there’s a contest I can enter with my “Shabby Chic Mistreatment”????

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Designs by Gollum is hosting a Potluck today…I love feeding my “hungry man” after a hard days work, he’s always appreciative of my efforts. Potluck tonight will be

chicken salad

basmati rice,

French bread

lime pie.

Chicken Salad Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise, or more, to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 to 3 teaspoons sweet pepper relish, or to taste (I also use enough sweet pickle juice to give the salad a good consistency)

Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to taste

The green seedless grapes and pecans will be added just before serving…the next step will to be to toast the pecans…

Use about 1 tablespoon butter in a small iron skillet and melt on low heat….add pecans (I used about 1 cup because we like to snack on them also). Use low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes and turn flame off and let the pecans set in the skillet while finishing the salad preparation. Careful….pecans have a high fat content and burn very easily…salt to taste after they cool some.

Now it is time to mix all the chicken salad ingredients and refrigerate while prepping everything else.

I prefer to use kitchen shears to cut my lettuce into bite-size pieces (my pet peeve is giant pieces of lettuce that I have to cut up in my salad bowl, grrrrrrrrrr).

Now cut your tomato in slices ….see my knife, I’ve had it for years, I was told it was a “tomato knife” when I bought it. These tomato slices make a beautiful presentation and taste good too.

Add toasted pecans and grapes that have been halved and serve a portion of chicken salad dressed with grape halves and parsley alongside. I used some light Ranch dressing but any kind you like will be good. “Hubby” doesn’t like any dressing so he’s easy to please. The rice will be served as a side dish with slices of toasty French bread.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Being outdoors heals my psyche, makes me whole, gives my perspective on life a lift, in other words, “I’m tired of winter”.

I need some spring sunshine, buttercups, forsythia, new puppies or children in our neighborhood. The buttercups are actually blooming in some places here but it has been too uncomfortable to get photos of them so I’ll just reminisce and anticipate spring. All of these photos were taken in our yard so enjoy how things “can be”.

My front yard trees used to look like this…“pre ice storm 2009”

A future post for OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY to see what these trees will look like this summer will be here shortly… (June or so….)